Well, s12 officially ends here. Ugh, it took me 8 chapters to 'rush' through 23 episodes... I truthfully hoped to go faster, but there were just too many things I wanted to write about.
Chapter 9
Lucifer was on the loose. Again. It was an understatement to say that things in the bunker were tense.
Dean, Sam and Jessica had spent the last days and nights glued to their phones and computers, looking for the correct kind of weird news that could give them a minimal clue about where their feathered friend had gone; so far, nothing yet. Oh, and having to babysit the King of Hell, yours truly, was just the icing on the cake.
"This is what you do when I'm not here?" Crowley asked derisively, taking a sip of scotch. "Type?"
Dean barely made an effort to acknowledge the question.
"Wait a second, I got something." Sam suddenly bolted with interest. "Ok, two hours ago, there was a massive power outage in the Pacific Northwest."
"It sounds like the right kind of weird," Jessica opined.
"They tracked the outage to an address in North Cove, Washington, to a house currently rented by James Novak."
"That's Cas!" Dean said eagerly, standing up. "Let's go."
"It's about time," Crowley grunted.
But before the demon could even leave his chair to join the others, Dean got a hold of his hand on the table and stabbed it with Ruby's Knife, nailing him.
"AAAHHHGGG!"
"You think we're gonna trust you out there after what you pulled? No. You stay here, sit down, and shut up."
"Yeah, Dean's quite right," Sam agreed. "Jess, be careful with him and don't believe a word he says."
"What?" she frowned, disgruntled. "Are you expecting me to stay here too? No way, I'm coming with you."
"Oh no, you're totally not, precious."
"Oh yeah, I'm totally yes," Jessica insisted, no joking in her voice. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but you intend to get to Cas and engage the three of you in a front-battle with the Devil. Same Cas that ran away because he wanted to protect this woman and her son? It doesn't seem like a good way, then."
"I know, but..."
"And while the four of you are having your macho time, Kelly will be dying unattended, giving birth all alone. Who's gonna take care of her while you fight, Sam? And the baby? Certainly not any of you."
Sam opened his mouth, wanting to say something that would convince his soulmate to stay safely in the bunker, but nothing came to his mind. He looked at his brother for help, but Dean merely shrugged in a gesture that clearly meant 'Your babe-your problem, not mine'.
So settled it was, and a long way to Castiel awaited the three of them.
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The loud, painful moan of a woman was heard from upstairs, halting the current ongoing conversation.
"I'll check on her," Jessica said immediately, leaving the three men to their own issues.
Castiel looked at her for a moment, deciding to trust her not to have any ace up her sleeve. There were more important cards on the table, like how to stop Lucifer or healing Dean. Because Dean was always needing a touch of angelic healing. Totally accidental, of course.
"Thanks," the hunter mumbled after trying out his fixed knee.
"Alright, we should double-check the warding," Sam suggested, turning around and making his way to the back of the house.
"Wait..."
Castiel tried to call after him, suspicious of the tear in space and time that had appeared in the backyard, but before he could move a step, a tight grip on his arm made him refocus all his attention back to the older Winchester. Those green eyes bore so much hurt that he could barely stand their gaze.
"Dean, I..."
Whatever he was going to say, was washed away when Dean grabbed a fistful of fabric at his collarbone and forcefully slammed his mouth on Castiel's. It wasn't tender, it wasn't loving. It was a kiss full of fury, intended to convey the frustration of abandonment. Dominant lips over apologetic ones. The hunter didn't even close his eyes, since there was nothing to enjoy in such a raw contact.
"Don't bother," Dean snorted. "I don't want to hear your sorrys all over again, Cas, so keep them to yourself. Right now, I'm so... so pissed off, that I could punch your face until my knuckles broke. But as usual, there are more important things than me to take care of, like Lucifer and Kelly. So we're going to do this, and then... then we'll see what happens."
The angel looked utterly dejected, but nodded slowly in agreement. There was no time for them with Lucifer hot on their tails. It seemed like there was never enough time for them to just care for each other, so once more, they put aside their profound bond and followed after Sam to the backdoor.
"Right, so. Listen, if we..."
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Upstairs, Jessica stopped right at Kelly's bedroom door and knocked lightly, waiting, not daring to intrude without invitation.
"Who are you?" Kelly startled, hugging her swollen belly in a protective gesture. "Where's Castiel?"
"I'm Jessica Moore," she answered in a calming voice. "I've come with Sam and Dean, they are downstairs with him. I mean no harm to you. I'm Sam's fiancée and a friend of Cas. You can call me Jess."
The pregnant woman looked unsure, but made a head sign indicating Jess that she could come in. She did, and walking slowly, sat down at the foot of the bed.
"Why are you here?" Kelly asked, breathing deeply.
Jessica pondered her answer for a second, doubting that the news about Lucifer coming for the kid would be adequate to disclose.
"You know how special your baby is, don't you? Strange things are expected to happen, so the boys are going to ensure that you and the small bird are safe," she smiled. "I'm here to take care of both of you, and help in any little way I can."
"I see," Kelly accepted, since there was nothing else she could do anyway. "Are you a doctor, perhaps? Or a nurse?"
"Ehm... sorry, I'm not. I chose History as my major. But if it makes you feel any better, I once dressed up as a nurse for Halloween!"
Both women chuckled a little, tension dissipating slightly.
"I also happened to witness it once, the whole ordeal, so it's not exactly like I don't have the littlest idea what's gonna happen or what to do."
Kelly was about to ask something, but a contraction shook her then. She doubled in pain, as much as her belly allowed her, and clutched the sheets until her knuckles were white. Jessica touched gently one of her hands, trying to offer some comfort, and automatically Kelly gripped her fingers; immediately, Jessica scooted closer and held Kelly's hand in both of hers, waiting for the pain to subside.
"Are you okay?" she asked to the soon-to-be mother. "Do you want anything? Water? Another pillow?"
"I'm managing, considering I'll be dead in a while," Kelly joked, wanting to make light of the situation. "But it's worthy, don't you think?"
"... Yes. If you believe that, then surely it is."
"I was very scared at the beginning, and also later," Kelly confessed with a trembling smile. "But not anymore. Not now, when everything is about to end. Even if I'm not here, Castiel will look after my son."
"He will. All of us will," Jessica reassured her. "I know it has been a tug-of-war, but Sam and Dean are trying their best to protect you two, believe me. And Cas won't allow anything to happen to your baby."
"Jack, his name is Jack. Very original, right?"
"Jack will be in good hands, Kelly. You don't have to worry anymore."
"Thank you, Jess. For being here with me. For being my friend even for a little while."
The blonde nodded silently, touched by Kelly's bravery and kindness. The poor woman didn't deserve this, to die being Lucifer's broken plaything.
"Tell me about the time you witnessed it, please," Kelly asked.
"It happened in sophomore year. One of my teachers was pregnant. She wasn't due until the end of the semester, during holidays, but she started contracting in the middle of lessons. I guess she broke her water and somehow didn't notice; coincidentally, her subject wasn't a popular one, and in a class of nine I was the only female. We called an ambulance, but it was her third kid already. The ambulance took too long to arrive, her body knew what to do, so everything was happening quite fast. When the paramedics finally got to her, the baby was about to crowning. By then she couldn't be moved, so... she delivered there. I assisted her the whole time."
"That's quite the anecdote to tell," Kelly commented. "How was it?"
"Truly? It was messy, and it was complicated and painful and probably not hygienic and... it wasn't pretty. Really, it wasn't. But at the end of the day, she had her new daughter wrapped in her arms. And that was beautiful."
Another contraction halted the conversation for a minute. Jessica dipped a rag in clean water, wrung it and wiped the sweat from Kelly's forehead.
"You look fairly younger than the Winchesters," she spoke again. "How did you get tangled in their problems?"
"Well, actually..." Jessica stuttered. "Sam and I were already in a relationship more than ten years ago, in Stanford. I was killed by a demon. Only recently... I mean, almost a year ago, something big happened and I was brought back by God. I decided to stay with the person I loved."
She looked at the pregnant woman, concerned what this new information would do to Kelly's unstable mood, but to her surprise, she burst in laughter. Well, as much as she could laugh given the circumstances.
"So you were resurrected by God, and I got pregnant by the Devil?!" she gasped, trying to regain her breath. "Jess, we would have been such great friends..."
And it was only then that Jessica saw the unshed tears in her eyes.
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For a second, all Dean could see was the figure of his angel, getting further and further from him, trenchcoat billowing in a damned world made of grey ashes. Blade in hand, Castiel walked decidedly to the archangel that was still confused by the sight of the King of Hell committing suicide right in front of him. The hunter, admittedly, wasn't any less confused by the fact.
"CAS!" he tried to call him one last time, before Sam dragged them through the interdimensional rift.
Back in their own world, the brothers fell on the ground. Hastily getting up, they turned around to wait for their feathered friend, hoping he would make it before Crowley's spell sealed the port.
And Castiel did. Right before being stabbed in the back by a grinning Lucifer.
Dean's brain stopped functioning. He had heard a piercing, wet squelching noise, and his eyes saw the white light, and there was a gasping sound leaving the seraph's throat. What that all meant? He knew it very well, had seen the signs a lot of times, but his neurons simply couldn't apply the obvious outcome to this one angel. No, it had to be something else... right?
"NO!" someone screamed, and it took Dean a second to realize it had been him.
Then Castiel fell, and not figuratively speaking. He fell hard to the ground, like a sack of flour. Like an empty vessel.
Dean didn't dare to even blink, his eyes wide open. This couldn't be real. Castiel unmoving, and the Devil with a bloody blade on hand.
"That was fun."
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Inside the house, Jessica started slowly to regain consciousness. What had happened? The baby was about to born, Kelly had glowed, and then... some kind of force had pushed her across the room.
The baby. Where was the baby?!
Alarmed, she got up back on her feet and went to the bedside. Kelly laid there, dirty and... dead. Her lips were starting to lose colour, her body growing cold. Considering this, Jessica thought that she had been knocked out only for a few minutes. But where was the baby?
A soft whine came from under Kelly's knees, still covered by the damp nightdress. With trembling fingers, Jessica carefully lifted the hem... and there she found him, a small being still protected between his mother's thighs. Strangely, it was already completely clean, not a smear of blood or anything on his fair skin. He wasn't crying, nor making any other sound, and a shiver crept up Jessica's back when the... nephilim locked eyes with her. Golden eyes.
Some sense came back to her then. Hurrying, she looked behind and took the sterilized supplies that she had insisted in buying at a pharmacy. She measured where to cut the umbilical cord, and wrapped the baby in the cute blanket that Kelly had given her.
"Welcome to the world, Jack," Jessica sobbed a little, caressing him tenderly.
She then put him down in the crib that was in the room, and proceeded to take care of the unfortunate deceased mother. The placenta had already started to come out, and no more than a couple of tugs were necessary to pull it completely; Jessica put it in a plastic bag to dispose of it later. Next she cleaned Kelly, washing her face and hands, and even combing her hair. Finally, she placed her arms and legs on a more natural and comfortable position.
Kelly looked like sleeping.
Checking on the baby one last time, Jessica went downstairs, hoping to find Sam and tell him that everything was already over. However she didn't, since there was nobody in the house. Maybe they were in the backyard?
Outside, Jessica saw both brothers facing another man, and Cas... Castiel laid on the ground, motionless.
"That was fun," the unknown man was saying. "Seriously, guys. Points for trying, super-impressed, but... playtime's over."
Only that... it wasn't an unknown man, not really. Walking closer, the lightbulb in the yard was enough to let her recognize him: it was him, the Devil, wearing the vessel she had seen on a cam shot. Lucifer. He wasn't an abstract concept anymore.
"Get away from them!" Before even realizing it, Jessica had come side by side with the Winchesters.
"Precious?" Sam whispered, bewildered.
"Jessica, right? Yeah, I've heard about you," Lucifer greeted her, all charming. "So you were Azazel's brilliant plot twist to get Sammy in the life again? Can't say I don't get it, you're quite the eyecandy. It was useless though, because at the end things didn't turn out quite like it was expected, so... yeah, such a pity you died for nothing, dear."
She couldn't look away from the tall man. This was the ancient being that had caused so much pain to Sam and Dean, and countless more. The one that used an innocent woman like a breeding mare merely for power, the one that made a child with her out of spite for his own father. That indirectly caused her own death as if it was a game, and apparently had just killed her celestial friend. He had tortured Sam in many cruel ways.
Jessica was incredibly scared, but way beyond the fear, she felt blinding rage. Without thinking, she slapped him hard.
"Cute," Lucifer cooed, barely feeling anything at all. "Is that all you got, Princess Bride?"
"Maybe I don't know much about angels yet," she hissed, "but you're trapped in a male vessel. And about men? Oh, I know a thing or two."
And with all the strength she could muster, Jessica kneed him in the groin. Whimpering, Lucifer dropped the angel blade and crouched a little, feeling the pain from his nether human parts spread through his body. Now he stood at the perfect height for the blonde to meet his damned face with her elbow, making a crunching sound. That got him reeling backwards on his feet to the still barely open rift, hand in air trying to find something to hold onto and only finding Jessica's still raised arm.
Falling, they both were sucked through the portal just as it closed.
"NO!" Sam hollered, rushing to the spot where the interdimensional rip had been mere seconds ago. "No no no no, not again... Jess. JESS!"
He stood there for a couple of minutes, stunned, feeling around the empty air as if he could find another breach by touch. Teardrops had dried on his cheeks when he finally gave up and felt himself bristle, an unsettling pulse coming from behind. Turning around, he saw the strange flickering light coming from one of the rooms in the house.
Looking at the other Winchester, Sam decided to ran to the house alone.
Dean was as much overwhelmed as his little brother. He couldn't stop looking at Castiel, knowing that one moment or another the angel would open his eyes again, because he had to. He had done it before, right? All the times Dean thought he had lost his best friend, Castiel had come back to him sooner or later. He only had to wait a little.
The hunter fell on his knees, softly, no strength left. Castiel's face was rigid, impassive, like the first time they met. But now Dean knew how warmly those infinite blue eyes shone when laughing at one of his stupid jokes, how the cheeks puffed a little when smiling, how the eyebrows knitted together in confusion, how the lips rosied after kissing. He wanted to see all of that again, and he would. Any moment now.
A feeling of impotence invaded him. Looking at the night sky, he wondered where the hell was Chuck. Why was he taking so long? So much for being God. Didn't he get the memo that Castiel had died yet or what? He would bring Cas back again, because he was his fave angel, right? The only one that actually gave a damn about humankind, the only one that dared to rebel and fight for Father's cherished yet abandoned pitiful toys.
Castiel's damaged wings were singed on the ground. And Dean kept waiting.
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Sam ran upstairs two steps each, following the guessed path of light even if it didn't shine anymore. In that room he found Kelly, dead but laying peacefully like a pretty doll. His sweet Jess, she had made sure to clean her and put her in a comfortable position, as unnecessary as that might have been.
After closing Kelly's eyes and dedicate a little prayer to her, Sam jumped on guard when a disturbing noise came from the other side of the hallway. Of course, how could he forget even for a second? Lucifer's spawn was just born, but where was he?
Taking careful steps, not knowing what kind of creature might attack him any moment, Sam made his way to the opposite room. Cold shivers ran up his back when he saw the scorching footprints on the wood floor. That wasn't reassuring at all, but he kept going until reaching the doorframe. Even in the shadows of the night, it was obvious that the room was a nursery, lovely painted and furnished for a baby that would never meet his parents.
Then golden eyes glowed in the dark. Not the eyes of a baby, though.
"Father?" the crouched nephilim asked, not with a child's voice.
"No, I'm not... I'm not your father," Sam stuttered, astonished beyond comprehension. "Jack. It is Jack, right?"
"Father," the naked teen-alike repeated, getting up.
A door slamming was heard downstairs.
"Sam?" Dean called. "Sammy!"
"I'm here!"
When the older Winchester arrived, turmoil in his gut eating him alive, it only took him a second to react. He saw his little brother, he saw a menacing creature, and he drew out his gun.
And he shot.
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